Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Mexico: Schools

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Mexicoaboutensuring that teachers and school administrators at all state schools are trained in freedom of religion and belief; and whether they will encourage that government to put in place mechanisms to (1) respond swiftly to cases of forced displacement on account of faith, and (2) take action to ensure that, during the period of their displacement, any children involved are not deprived of their right to an education.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Officials in our Embassy in Mexico City have regular contact with the Government of Mexico on a range of human rights issues, including freedom of religion or belief; I discussed these matters with the former Mexican Ambassador to the UK in October 2018. In Mexico, we engage with civil society groups, including Christian Solidarity Worldwide, to help inform our understanding of the human rights situation on the ground. Mexico has close to universal access to basic education. We will continue to work with civil society to identify when rare exceptions do occur. We will also continue to engage regularly with the Mexican authorities at ministerial, official and state levels to discuss human rights, and other freedoms, and to support a broad human rights agenda in the country.

Nigeria: Violence

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent killings in Nigeria, in particular the attacks in (1) Nassarawa State, (2) Benue State, (3) Kaduna State, and (4) Gombe.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We remain deeply concerned about continuing intercommunal violence across many states in Nigeria. The root causes of the violence are complex and vary across different regions. Tension between farming and herding communities, exacerbated by population growth and climate change has disrupted traditional grazing routes of nomadic herders leading to conflict with farming communities. We are seeking specific information about the attacks in Nassarawa, Benue, Kaduna and Gombe States, working closely with the Nigerian authorities.

Sudan: Military Coups

the earl of sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of events in Sudan since the recent army coup; and what action they have taken in response to that coup, in particular to encourage the formation of a new provisional government which represents opposition parties and civil society.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Since Bashir's removal on 11 April and the establishment of a Transitional Military Council the UK has made clear public statements via the Troika (US, Norway and UK), the Foreign Secretary and our Ambassador in Khartoum calling for all sides to engage in an inclusive dialogue that leads to a swift and peaceful transition to civilian rule. In support of this we are regularly engaging with all Sudanese parties and civil society, both in Khartoum and London. The UK is working closely with international partners and welcomes the leadership of the African Union (AU); it is vital that the transition credibly delivers the demands of the people of Sudan. As the Foreign Secretary made clear on 24 April, during this once in a generation opportunity for change it is essential the proposed extension of the AU deadline for the return to civilian rule in Sudan is used effectively and that protestors, politicians and military council reach an agreement.

Cyprus: Peace Negotiations

lord maginnis of drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Report of the Secretary-General on his mission of good offices in Cyprus, submitted to the UN Security Council on 16 April; and whether (1) it reflects the ongoing embargo of the Turkish Cypriot community on the island, or (2) recognises the impact of the Greek Cypriot approach to the negotiations since the rejection of the Annan Plan by the Greek Cypriot electorate and the failure of the Crans-Montana talks.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK is grateful for the ongoing work of the Secretary-General and his good offices on the island, as we are to Ms Jane Holl Lute for her ongoing consultations with the parties. We endorse the Secretary-General's view that prospects for a settlement remain alive as reaffirmed in his April report. We welcome his continued willingness to work with the parties to conduct further consultations on a way forward and hope that they will lead to a return to negotiations. We echo the UN's view that the status quo is not sustainable and, like the Secretary-General, we encourage all sides to engage constructively, creatively and with the necessary sense of urgency, demonstrating they are committed to making progress towards a settlement. A settlement continues to represent the most sustainable means of addressing the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community on the island.

Saudi Arabia: Capital Punishment

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Saudi Arabia following the execution of 37 persons there on 23 April; and in particular, whether they will ask for publication of an independent investigation of allegations of torturing in the cases of Mujtata Al-Sweikat and Abdulkarim al-Hawaj and others.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are very concerned by the 37 executions in Saudi Arabia on 23 April and about allegations of torture. The Foreign Secretary raised this matter directly with the Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, HE Minister Al Jubeir. The British Government opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country, including in Saudi Arabia. We regularly raise human rights concerns, including the use of the death penalty, at the highest levels with the Saudi Arabian authorities. We consistently and unreservedly condemn torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and it is a priority for us to challenge it wherever and whenever it occurs.​

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in securing the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, following the recent statements by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif publicly clarified on 24 April that Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's case was not linked to his offer of a prisoner exchange to the US. He is quoted as saying, "The offer that I made was people who have been in prison either in the United States or elsewhere in the world on American request… But the Iranian-British woman is a separate case." The UK has not been approached for a prisoner exchange by Iran. In our bilateral discussions with Iran we regularly request consular access to all our dual national detainees, including Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe. Under the auspices of diplomatic protection, we will continue to do so to ensure her wellbeing.

Department of Health and Social Care

Hospitals: Private Sector

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether private hospitals in England are required to provide safety records to the Care Quality Commission to protect patients as provided by the NHS.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Private hospital providers are required by law to notify the Care Quality Commission (CQC) about the following occurrences:- A serious injury to a person using the service;- The death of a person using the service;- An incident relating to the service that is reported to or investigated by the police;- Something that stops or may stop the service running safely (such as problems with infrastructure, equipment or premises);- Safeguarding issue such as abuse or allegations of abuse concerning a person using the service if any of the following applies:the person is affected by abuse or alleged abusethe person is an abuser or an alleged abuser; and- Any application and its outcome or withdrawal to deprive a person of their liberty.

Medical Records: Children

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the minimum age at which children have the legal right to access their own medical records and to allow or prevent access by others, including their parents; and at what age parents can no longer access their child’s medical records without that child’s written consent.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: There is no defined minimum age for the ability to access, and prevent others accessing, medical records. Young people, provided they have capacity, have the legal right to access their own health records and can allow or prevent access by others, including their parents. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland anyone aged 16, and in Scotland those aged 12 or over, are legally presumed to already have such capacity. Those under that age must demonstrate they have sufficient understanding of what is proposed. A child may achieve capacity earlier or later. In any event children should be able to access their own health records but they should not be given access to information that would cause them serious harm.Parents should be allowed access to their child’s medical records if the child or young person consents, or lacks capacity, and it does not go against the child’s best interests. If the records contain information given by the child or young person in confidence, this information should not normally be disclosed without their consent.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Childbirth

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate, if any, they have made of the prevalence of medical detentions after childbirth complications in hospitals in countries that receive UK Official Development Assistance.

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions, if any, they have had with countries which receive UK Official Development Assistance about women and girls being held in medical detention due to their inability to pay medical bills relating to childbirth complications; and whether they encourage such countries, in such discussions, to release such women and girls.

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they support work in countries which receiveUK Official Development Assistance to release women and girls from being held in medical detention due to their inability to pay medical bills after childbirth complications.

baroness sugg: The UK is deeply concerned that women are being detained because they cannot pay medical fees, including after childbirth complications. We are currently supporting the World Health Organisation to review the extent of the problem and assess what can be done.Through our work at country level, we also help promote financing reforms to benefit the poor and reduce out-of-pocket expenditure on health. We also advocate for respectful behaviour in health facilities. We are committed to deepen our engagement in this area to ensure respectful and safe maternity care that does not impoverish mothers.

Developing Countries: Agriculture

the earl of sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the World Bank’s new emphasis on the private sector, in particular, whether it has encouraged large-scale industrial farming for palm oil and other commodities at the expense of the environment and local farm livelihoods; and what proposals they have made, if any, to redress this trend.

baroness sugg: The World Bank Group (WBG) can play an important role mobilising private sector finance for quality development projects that meet robust environmental and social standards – projects that are critical to providing the finance needed to achieve the Global Goals. Recognising the particular risks in the palm oil sector, the WBG has issued guidance that seeks to ensure improved benefit sharing with smallholders and communities and the widespread adoption of environmentally and socially sustainable standards (The World Bank Group Framework and IFC Strategy for Engagement in the Palm Oil Sector). The International Finance Corporation has a complaints procedure for affected people to express any grievances and seek redress where this guidance is not followed. This procedure is currently under review to ensure greater attention is devoted to responding to complaints at an early stage.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking with international partners to help contain the current outbreak of Ebola in the North Kivu and Ituri provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

baroness sugg: The UK Government continues to take the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) extremely seriously. It is the largest in the country’s history, the first in an active conflict zone and the second largest on record. We have been one of the leading supporters of the response in the DRC from the very start – through both funding and technical expertise to the World Health Organisation and others – and are actively pushing for international partners to do more. We are also the leading donor for regional preparedness. With case numbers continuing to rise and the outbreak not yet under control, the UK is looking to ensure that the response adapts to meet the needs of a deteriorating situation, including by strengthening community engagement. We are also looking to other donors to step up in terms of funding and support. Preventing the spread of deadly diseases saves lives and money, and is therefore firmly in the UK’s national interest.

Overseas Aid: Armed Conflict

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 on the delivery of UK aid assistance, in particular medical and healthcare aid to Idlib, and to conflict zones more generally.

baroness sugg: As part of our humanitarian response to the Syrian conflict, the Department for International Development is funding UN and NGO partners to provide vital humanitarian assistance to people in need in Idlib, including healthcare. Our support in Idlib governorate alone has meant that approximately 500,000 people received medical consultations between January and June 2018. The government gives the utmost priority to protecting UK citizens, and safeguarding our national security. As yet, the powers at section 4 of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 have not been used, and there are currently no designated areas. If, in future, any area within Syria or elsewhere is designated, the Act provides clear exemptions from the offence of entering or remaining in a designated area for any person who does so for the purpose of providing aid of a humanitarian nature, or who is acting on behalf of or holding office under the Crown. This means that, even in areas where a designated area offence might be in place, the UK will continue to be able to deliver the highest standards of lifesaving humanitarian support.

Palestinians: USA

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of the United States in regard to reports that the United States Agency for International Development is preparing to reduce the size of its West Bank and Gaza mission and to lay off many of its local employees; and what impact this will have on international efforts to build the capacity for a future Palestinian state in accordance with UK policy to support a two state solution.

baroness sugg: The UK maintains a regular dialogue with the United States (US) on a range of Middle East issues, including reduced levels of US funding to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). The UK is concerned about the effects of US cuts to the OPTs on both the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) ability to deliver essential services to Palestinians and on the prospects for peace and stability in the region. A UK official spoke to a US Government official regarding this in February, and in March the former Secretary of State raised wider reductions in US funding to the OPTs with Nita Lowey, Chair of the House Appropriations Committee. The UK will continue to work with the international community to support a stable PA which can act as an effective partner for peace with Israel, as part of UK efforts to prepare the ground for a two state-solution.

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

lord crisp: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they are approaching the upcoming replenishment period and strategy review with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

baroness sugg: The UK is delighted to be hosting the Gavi Replenishment in 2020. Gavi has immunised over 700 million children, saving 10 million lives from preventable diseases. The UK is proud to have played a significant role in delivering these extraordinary results. As hosts of the Replenishment Conference, our priority will be to help Gavi secure the funding it needs to further deliver its life-saving work. The replenishment period is also a terrific opportunity to demonstrate the impact of the UK’s contribution to Gavi for the world’s poorest and to recognise the extraordinary work done by British innovators, academics and health advocates to support Gavi’s mission. The next strategic period for Gavi is critically important and the UK will continue to press for further improvements. This includes promoting equitable coverage of immunisation to leave no-one behind and ensure vaccines are available for the most vulnerable. The UK will also prioritise ensuring our investment in Gavi is sustainable and delivers maximum value for money by supporting countries to effectively transition from Gavi support to increased domestic funding.

Developing Countries: Vaccination

lord crisp: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in ensuring price transparency of vaccines.

baroness sugg: The UK recognises the importance of ensuring vaccines are affordable for the poorest nations and the role price transparency has in supporting this. Our significant investment in Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and support for global initiatives helps progress on increasing the transparency of vaccine prices and ensuring vaccines remain affordable to the world’s poorest nations. Gavi provides vaccines for 60% of the annual global birth cohort, providing it with significant purchasing power which it uses to foster competition and broaden suppliers of vaccines. This approach ensures vaccines are available at sustainable and affordable prices and has helped reduce the cost of immunising a child with three key vaccines by 17% since 2016. Gavi procures vaccines through UNICEF, which publicises historic, current and future prices for vaccines. Our strong investment in Gavi therefore helps to provide full transparency of vaccine costs for 68 of the world’s poorest countries. Outside of Gavi supported countries, the UK has helped make progress on vaccine pricing transparency by supporting the World Health Organisation’s Global Strategy and Plan of Action and Roadmap for Access to Medicines. This plan helps increase global price transparency whist protecting the innovation that is crucial for future vaccine development. UK support for the Access to Medicines Index also helps increase transparency on efforts by pharmaceutical companies to improve the affordability and availability of their medicines.

Developing Countries: Vaccination

lord crisp: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they have taken to support poorer countries and emerging economies to (1) secure fair vaccine prices, (2) increase coverage of vaccine availability, and (3) save more lives.

baroness sugg: The UK is a world leader in improving global immunisation. The UK is the largest donor to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which provides immunisation support to 68 of the world’s poorest countries. Gavi provides vaccines for 60% of the annual global birth cohort, providing it with strong purchasing power that Gavi then uses to ensure vaccines prices are affordable to low income countries. This model is extremely successful and has reduced the cost of immunising a child with three key vaccines by 17% since 2016. By advocating with vaccine manufacturers to retain affordable prices, Gavi also supports countries transitioning from its support, with every transitioned country since 2016 procuring vaccines at the same or lower price. Gavi’s scale also enables it to increase coverage and availability of vaccines in the poorest nations. By significantly reducing vaccine prices, Gavi has reduced a principal barrier that has enabled it to support the introduction of 380 vaccines. To ensure these reach the most marginalised, Gavi’s support focuses on areas with the lowest coverage and helps develop strong health systems capable of delivering vaccines. The effectiveness of Gavi’s model has seen 10 million lives saved from vaccine preventable diseases. In 2020, the UK will proudly host the replenishment of Gavi, providing a strong opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of Gavi to increase access to vaccinations and save lives in the world’s poorest nations.

Developing Countries: Vaccination

lord crisp: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to address equal access to vaccines to ensure that the most marginalised children are immunised.

baroness sugg: The UK believes all children should have access to lifesaving vaccines, no matter where they live. Equitable vaccine coverage is therefore a key priority for the UK’s support for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. This investment provides immunisation to the poorest children in 68 of the world’s poorest countries. Gavi will vaccinate an additional 76 million children by 2020, preventing 1.4 million deaths from vaccine preventable diseases. As well as providing support to strengthen the overall health system, Gavi focuses on improving access and equity by identifying the populations and geographical areas most likely to be under immunised and at risk of outbreaks. Gavi have also adapted their model to include a Fragility, Emergency and Refugees policy which provides a more quick and flexible response in fragile countries. This has helped reach unimmunised children in places like Syria and in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. As a Gavi Board member, the UK advocates for equitable coverage as a core priority both now and in the future.

Department for Education

Students: Plagiarism

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many essay mill and contract cheating companies have been (1) prosecuted, and (2) closed.

viscount younger of leckie: The use of companies that sell bespoke essays to students who pass the work off as their own undermines the reputation of the education system in this country, and devalues the hard work of those succeeding on their own merit. While it is not currently a criminal offence to operate an essay mill, we are keeping the need for legislation under review. We are mindful however, that countries who have introduced legislation to make the operation of essay mills illegal, appear to have had limited success in pursuing successful prosecutions using that legislation. In 2016, the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) found there were approximately 17,000 instances of academic offences per year in the UK. Our current focus is on non-legislative measures and we expect educational institutions to do everything in their power to prevent students being tempted by these companies. In a university context, that may be through making sure their students are aware of the severe consequences they face under the terms of their student contract if they are caught cheating. The most recent guidance from the QAA highlights the importance of severe sanctions of suspension or expulsion if ‘extremely serious academic misconduct’ has been discovered. On 20 March 2019, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education challenged PayPal to stop processing payments for essay mills. PayPal is now working with businesses associated with essay writing services to ensure its platform is not used to facilitate deceptive and fraudulent practices in education. Google and YouTube have also responded by removing hundreds of advertisements for essay writing services and promotional content from their sites. In addition, the department published an education technology strategy on 3 April, attached, which challenges technology companies to identify how anti-cheating software can tackle the growth of essay mills and stay one step ahead of the cheats. We are determined to beat the cheats who threaten the integrity of our higher education system.



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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Private Rented Housing: Social Security Benefits

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action theyare taking, or plan to take, to stop landlords and lettings agents from not offering properties to people who are on benefits.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government recently announced its intention to tackle the issue of private letting advertisements that specify ‘no DSS’ tenants. Over the coming months, the Government will meet industry representatives to discuss what action can be taken to end this practice. We will also be working with colleagues in other government departments, including the Department for Work & Pensions, to explore how we can drive this change across government.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action theyare taking to support schemes that aim to make use of fresh food as it reaches its best before date rather than have it destroyed.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government continues to work with key stakeholders across the food chain, including redistribution organisations, in exploring the barriers to increasing surplus food redistribution and developing solutions. The Secretary of State announced in October 2018 a £15 million pilot fund for 2019/20 to support the further redistribution of surplus food and reduce food waste. We are looking to make announcements on the successful applicants to the first tranche of funding shortly and announce new opportunities for funding in the next few months. The projects supported by the £500k fund announced in January 2018 are already bearing fruit, with His Church officially opening their new walk in freezer in March. In November 2017, the Government with the Waste and Resources Action Programme and the Food Standards Agency published step by step best practice guidance on date labels to get the right information and advice put on packaging conveyed clearly and consistently to help consumers reduce waste and ensure food is safe and fit to eat.

Northern Ireland Office

Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland: Finance

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional resources have been made available to the Electoral Office for Northern Irelandin advance of the European Parliament Elections.

lord duncan of springbank: It remains the Government’s intention to leave the EU with a deal and pass the necessary legislation before 22 May, so that the UK does not need to participate in the European Parliamentary Elections. However, it is important that the Government takes the necessary steps in advance of the elections. The European Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officer’s Charges) (Northern Ireland) Order 2019 came into force on 26 April 2019. This sets out the maximum recoverable amount that the Chief Electoral Officer can recover from the Consolidated Fund for any expenses reasonably incurred for the delivery of the potential European Parliamentary election in Northern Ireland. The maximum recoverable amount specified in the Order is £2,850,000.